Cow-Calf Operations

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Cow-Calf Operations

• Its all about BEEF!
• From foukeffa.org
• Written by Matt Bierds
• Ag Student Texas AM

GA Ag Ed Curriculum Office To accompany the
Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Course
02421 Unit 2 July 2001
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Advantages

• Forage is cheaper than feed.
• Less labor requirements.
• Low death loss.
• Adapt well.
• Good demand for producers, especially
• small producers, because inexpensive.

3
Disadvantages

• Through droughts, cost increases, due to no grass
  and feeding feed
• Dont convert grass as good as feed
• Fewer offspring per year, compared to other
  species
• High cost to start operation i.e. land

4
Cow-Calf Operations

• How does it work?
• What type of cattle are used?
• When is the calving season?

5
Whats the Bulls Job?

• How many cows can one bull breed each season?
• How many bulls would you need if owned 200 cows?
• What is another way to breed your cows?

6
Heifers What are these creatures?

• When are heifers able to start breeding?
• Gestation period of 283 days (9 months)
• Can a cow ever have twins?

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Moo-cows get hungry too!

• What do we feed beef cattle?
• Mainly forages- grasses and legumes.
• Grasses
• Bermuda, Fescue
• Legumes
• Clovers, Alfalfa
• Pasture free of weeds. Why?

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Supplements

• Minerals
• Fed free choice
• Creep feeding
• What is it?

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Where are we at in the process?

• Calf is born.
• Calf is weaned.
• Where does it go next?

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Backgrounding system

• Cattle is fed high quality forages and maybe some
  grain for about a 4-6 month period. Usually on
  the fall off in spring or on in spring off in
  fall.
• This is done to increase size of your cattle, as
  cheaply as possible. Because again grass is
  cheaper than feed.

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Finishing system

• Cattle is fed to slaughter weight here.
• -start at about 800 lbs
• -finished at 1100-1400 lbs
• -fed for about 150-175 days
• Commercial feedlots
• Midwestern and Southwestern U.S.
• Fed feed concentrates
• -high energy- corn, milo, oats

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Nowhere to go but,

• Slaughter House
• Finally, beef is sent to HEB to be consumed by us.

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Review of Process

• Cow calf operator- conception to weaning, 15
  months.
• Backgrounder- raises weaned calves until they are
  ready to go to feedlot. 4-6 months
• Feedlot- fattens cattle to slaughter weight,
  usually 5-6 months.
• Slaughter House to Grocery store to Table.

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Process Review Cont.

• Total time require to get beef to the consumer.
• From the first thought of the next calf crop to
  the table, right at or just over 2 years.
• From the birth of a calf to the table, right at
  16-17 months.

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Review

• What is a cow-calf operation?
• What do we feed?
• Where are the beef cattle finished off?